1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a communications network of internationally distributed connected devices and more particularly to, routing calls internationally over a private communications network to parties at stations on a public communications network.
2. Background Description
Carrier identification codes (CICs) are numeric codes that enable local exchange carriers (LECs) providing interexchange access services to identify the interexchange carrier (IXC) that the originating caller wishes to use to transmit its long distance or toll call. LECs use the CICs to route traffic to the proper IXC and to bill for long distance/toll access service provided. CICs enable callers to choose a telecommunications service provider, both by presubscription and by dialing a carrier access code, or CAC, that incorporates the carrier""s unique CIC. Between 1983 and 1998, CICs were unique three-digit codes (XXX) and CACs were five-digit codes incorporating the CIC (10XXX).
In order to increase the number of CICs available for assignment, four-digit CICs replaced three-digit CICs in 1998. With the four-digit CIC, CACs become seven-digit codes. IXCs that had three-digit CICs did not get new codes. Rather, an initial zero was added to their old three-digit CIC (i.e., 0XXX) to make it a four-digit CIC. In addition, a xe2x80x9c1xe2x80x9d was added to the end of the CAC prefix (i.e., 101 0XXX). Consequently, some carriers advertised the new CAC as a xe2x80x9c10 10 XXXxe2x80x9d number. Thus, a telephone caller can xe2x80x9cdial aroundxe2x80x9d a presubscribed long distance or local toll telephone carrier to reach another carrier by dialing a seven-digit CAC, e.g., in the U.S., (101 XXXX)+1+Area Code+Number.
While this works well for calls placed from a station on the public network, the carrier selection fails for international calls placed from a private network. When a private network caller enters a CAC/CIC for a far-end hop-off to the public network, the call is routed over the private network to a gateway server to egress to the public network. As long as the call egress is in the same country in which it originated the call should complete successfully. However, each country assigns a CIC only when a particular carrier is licensed to operate in that country. So, unfortunately, when calls have an egress destination in another country, the carrier selection will fail because the CAC/CIC assignment for a particular carrier is seldom, if ever, the same value from country to country. Standards bodies have not addressed regulating or correlating CICs across country boundaries. So, private network users are not able to take advantage of a CAC/CIC for international calls routed over the private network to a gateway server in another country.
Thus, there is a need for a private network that passes calls placed in one country to the correct service provider at a far-end hop-off to the public network in another country.
It is a purpose of the invention to facilitate the use of carrier identification codes from private network calls;
It is another purpose of the invention to facilitate the use of carrier identification codes for calls to a destination in a public network originated by a caller located in a private network;
It is yet another purpose of the invention to facilitate the use of carrier identification codes for calls to a destination in a public network originated by a caller remotely accessing the facilities of a private network;
It is yet another purpose of the invention to facilitate the use of carrier identification codes for private network international calls;
It is yet another purpose of the invention to facilitate the use of carrier identification codes for international calls to a party in the public network routed first over private network facilities.
The present invention relates to a Carrier Identification Code (CIC) aware private communications network. International calls are placed with a CIC from a station at an originating server and routed over a private network to a connected public network gateway switch located in another country for a far-end hop-off. The public network gateway switch includes a CIC cross reference table with corresponding local CICs. The public network gateway switch replaces the original CIC with a corresponding local CIC from the cross reference table. Then, the call egresses from the public network gateway switch to a corresponding selected carrier network and connects to the called party on the public communications network.